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As there is no microscopiflt in the United States, who, as far as I 

 know, has taken the place of the late Professor Bailey, of the West 

 Point Military Academy, it would bo well that the Louisiana State 

 University should adopt this branch of natural science as a specialty, 

 and thus contribute by scientific research to the diffusion of scien- 

 tific knowledge, in which the scientific world takes considerable 

 interest. It must not be understood, however, that I have the least 

 pretension of being able to till the place left vacant by Professor 

 Bailey. I can only promise, that I shall use my humble abilities to 

 the utmost, in order to give a more extensive range to microscopic 

 investigations as regards the Algre of Louisiana and the Southern 

 States. 



But to accomplish this object successfully and give authority to 

 my determinations it would be necessary to supply all the means 

 which the modern improvements of the microscope afford. It is 

 some months, since you have ordered Ehrenberg's Infusoria and 

 Half's British Desmidije to be purchased for the use of the Univer- 

 sity, but they have not yet been received, and consequently, I could 

 not avail myself of the information these works would have furnished 

 me to render my report on microscopic plants more complete. It 

 would also be of great advantage, and in some cases it would be 

 indispensably necessary, to possess prepared slides, containing speci- 

 mens of all the diatomacea3 thus far found in the United States, for 

 comparison, so as to determine new species with certainty. Addi- 

 tional object glasses ranging from three hundred to a thousand 

 diameters would also be necessary, for some of the markings of the 

 diatornacere are so delicate that they can only be seen with object 

 glasses of very high powers, and the determination frequently 

 depends on these markings. 



A great number of these microscopic plants, many of which are 

 probably new species, are still undetermined, not only for the reasons 

 already stated, but, also, because I have not been able to correspond 

 with scientific men in this country who are familiar with this subject, 

 and I must, therefore, defer to a more propitious time to furnish the 

 full catalogue of the specimens found and preserved for future 

 examination. 



THE FLORA OF LOUISIANA. 



In undertaking the botanical survey of the State and collecting 

 every species of plant that grows in Louisiana, my object has been 

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